Photoflash unit



Sept. 8, 1942. A. c. ANSLE'Y PHOTOFLASH UNIT Filed Jan. 11, 1941INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 8, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcEPllo'r'glll UNIT l Application January lllclzzill No. 374,062

3 Claims.

The present invention concerns camera ilashlight devices and inparticular devices utilizing ilash-bulbs as a source of light andigniting them in synchronism with the camera shutter.

One object of the present invention is to provide a hash-light device ofgreatly simpliiled construction which is cheap to make and simple touse.

Another object is to provide a ash-light device of extremely small sizewhereby it may be carried in the vest pocket.

A still further object is to provide a ilash-light for photographic usein which the carrying case when opened acts as a reilector for the lightfrom the flash bulb.

Another object is toprovide a flash-light for photographic use in whichthe synchronizing of the ilash with the camera shutter is accomplishedin a simple and eilicient manner.

These and other objects will be apparent from the detailed descriptionoi the invention given in connection with the various gures of thedrawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a view of one iorm of the invention attached to aconventional camera.

Fig. 2 shows a side view of the ilash-light case, batteries and bulb. l

Fig. 3 shows a top view of the portion of the invention shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows a detail of the battery, flash lamp and externalconnections:

Fig. 5 shows a Lcross-section detail of the synchronizing units.

Fig. 6 shows a detail of the electrical contacting device.

Fig. l shows the electrical circuit of my invention.

In the past flash-light synchronizing devices for photography have beenlarge and expensive.

' 'They usually consisted of a battery holder, a large reilector for theiiash bulb and a more or less complicated and cumbersome synchronizingdevice. With the advent of flash bulbs about the size of a golf ball Ihave found it possible to combine the reflector and battery case in asmall vest pocket sized unit. I have also invented a small simple andefficient synchronizing device which may be also placed within thebattery case when not in use. One synchronizing device may be used withall cameras capable of being operated back. The cover of this unit ispolished and when the case is opened, it acts as a reflector.

Fig. 1 shows a conventional camera 8 to the tripod socket 8 of which isattached the bottom part I0 of the battery case of my flash-lightsynchronizer. The cover II of the case is shown open. In this positionthe polished inside surface I2 acts as a reector for the ilash bulb I3.On the opposite side of the battery case is mounted an insulating stripIl on which is mounted two electrical connectors I5 and I6. A two wirecable I1 leads to the synchronizing unit I8. The cable release 2l of thecamera is placed in a slot in synchronizing unit I8 and an electricalcontactor 20 is clamped to plunger I9 of the cable release. When plungerI9 is depressed to operate the shutter of the camera contactor 20 closesan electrical circuit in synchronizing unit I8 setting -off ash bulb I3.Contactor 20 may be moved along plunger I9 until the ash synchronizesproperly with the opening of the camera shutter.

Fig. 2 shows in more detail the battery case IIl-I I. The inside of thebottom I0 of the battery case'is lined with insulating material 22. Theinsulating piece I4 carrying the electrical connectors is shown.Batteries 23 are held in place by means of a formed clamp 24. Socket 25for ilash-lamp I3 is mounted in the space between the batteries. g Inorder to attach the battery case to the tripod socket 8 of camera 8 athreaded stud 28 is provided. This stud 28 has an internally threadedhole 29 into which screws the locking screw 26. Screw 26 passes throughthe battery clamp 2| thus holding the batteries in place. Between thehead of screw 26 and case I0 is located a friction washer 21 so thatwhen screw 26 is tightened up the device is held together iirmly but thecase may be turned from side to side to align it properly with the lensofthe with a cable release.` There are available cable y releases forall cameras with a plunger of uniform size to fit my synchronizer. Thebattery case is made of two similar parts hinged at the camera. On therear edge of the case bottom IIl is provided a stop piece 30 and on toppiece II a similar stop piece 3i. When case IIl-II is opened a spring 32coiled around hinge 33 holds stop`3| against stop 30 and cover IIassumes a position perpendicular to bottom I0 and is thus in a positionto eiilciently reilect light from flash lamp I3.

Fig. 3 shows a top view of the battery case shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 3shows in particular hinge 33 with spring 32 which holds cover II incorrect position when the device is in use. When cover Il is closedagainst base I0 an indentation 35 in cover II snaps into a hole 34 ininsulation strip Il holding the case shut. 'I'he positions or batteries23 and battery clamp 24 relative to socket 25 is clearly shown, ContactsI5 and I6 are also shown. These contacts may conveniently be phone tipjacks into which the cable is plugged when the device is to be operated.Screw 26 and washer 21 for holding clamp 24 in place is also shown.

Fig. 4 shows a section of Fig. 3 along line 4 4. Fig. 4 shows moreclearly the battery connections. Batteries 23 are connected with theflash bulb I3 and connectors I5 and I6 by means of various wires andbattery connectors including battery connectors 38 and 39 and wires 48,4I and 42. The other ends of batteries 23 are in contact with batteryconnectors 43 (Fig 3) mounted on insulating strip 3l. Fig. 4 also shows-base II), cover II, ilash bulb socket 25, screw 26 and screw 2li- 28.

Fig. 5 shows a section through synchronizer I8. Synchronizer I8 is madeup of two pieces of insulating material 44 and 45. Insulating piece 4423 across flash bulb I3 thereby setting off the flash. The shorting isaccomplished by means of contactor 28 carried by plunger I9 of the cablerelease. When button 46 of the cable release is pushed plunger I9carrying oontactor 20 moves toward body 41 until a point is reached atwhich contacts'48 are shorted igniting flash bulb I3. Further movementof plunger I9 trips the camera shutter and nally contactor 20 reachesbody 41 and acts as a stop. The position of contactor 20 on plunger I9may be adjusted to produce the desired time relation between ignition ofbulb I3 and opening of the camera shutter. Most flash bulbs reachmaximum brilliance about 0.02 second after ignition at which time theshutter should be opened. Fig. 5 shows button 46 in its releasedposition in dotted lines.

Fig, 6 shows a cross-section of contactor 2D. It shows the central holefitting around plunger I9 and how set-screw 49 fits in the slot whichallows contactor to be lltted to plunger I9 and adjusted along it. Whenthe correct position is found, set screw 48 is tightened to lockcontactor 20 on plunger I9 at this point.

Fig. 7 shows the equivalent electrical circuit of the flashsynchronizer. It shows how contactor 20 shorts contacts 48 connectingbatteries 23 in series across flash bulb I 3.

While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown anddescribed many modifications are possible as will be evident to thoseskilled in the art and within the spirit and scope of the invention asset forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed, is:

1. In a flash-light device, the combination of a battery case includingtwo major portions, one of said portions containing a batterycompartment and a flash-bulb socket, means to connect the batteries tosaid bulb, and a stud mounted with its axis parallel to the axis of saidsocket for attaching said device to a camera and the other of saidportions including a reflector which may be Opened to a position toreflect the light emitted by said bulb, wherein said two portions arehinged together to provide a compact case for ready transportation.

2. In a flash-light device, the combination of a base unit and a coverwherein said base unit carries a socket for a flash-bulb, a batterycornpartment for batteries to ignite said bulb, a stud for attachingsaid unit to a camera tripod socket mounted on said compartment, andelectrical contacts for an external switch connectiony and said covercomprises a reflectorfor said bulb and means for holding the surface ofsaid reflector in predetermined relation to said bulb for efficientreflection of light therefrom.

3. In a photoilash device, the combination of, a case including twomajor-parts, one of said parts comprising a concave reflector and theother. ofl said parts comprising a battery compartment, means forholding said parts substantially at right angles when in operatingposition, a flash-bulb socket attached to said battery compartment forholding a iiash-bulb in front of said reflector, means for holding apair of batteries with their axes perpendicular to the axis of saidsocket, and a stud for attaching said device to a camera the axis ofsaid stud being parallel to the axis of said socket, said stud beingmounted on said battery compartment.

ARTHUR C. ANSLEY.

